Keyblade War: The Commencement
by Kristen Verne
Summary: Before the adventures of Sora and the others, one great adventure engulfed the worlds. This was the Keyblade War! Hear the story of this famous war from the mouth of one who lived it. This is the story of Keyblade Master Oukoku Gatsu! Rated T for violence. cowritten with Jayla the Panda.
1. Prologue

Here it is, as promised!

The story of Oukoku and the Keyblade war!

I own Oukoku Gatsu, Kokoro Gatsu, Noboru Akatsuki, Fuyu Akira, Sakae Ren, Sachi Kawa, Osamu Yuki, Hotaru Yoshi, and Oni Mou!

Jayla the Panda owns Kazuhiro Satoshi!

Kingdom Hearts belongs to Disney and Square Enix!

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**Keyblade War: The Commencement**

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Sora and Kairi looked around the pure white castle on the world of Kingdom Hearts. Their footsteps echoed on the brilliant white flooring. They hadn't been here in so long. "Do you think he'll tell us?"

"I don't know, I'm sure it's a touchy subject but, there's no harm in asking." Sora looked up at the window behind the white thrones and called out. "Oukoku! Are you there?"

The glowing image of the ancient Keyblade wielder appeared. "_Hello Sora, Kairi. It's good to see you. It's been a while._"

"Yea, things have been a little… busy…"

"_Oh_," Oukoku took notice of the ring on Kairi's hand, the gold glittering with the pink diamond, "_I can see that._" He chuckled as their faces became stained red. "_I guess congratulations are in order._"

"Thank you, Oukoku."

The ancient man looked at them and at the notebook in Kairi's hands. "_However, I do not believe that this is a social call, am I right?_" They nodded. "_I see… what do you want to ask me?_"

"Oukoku," the Princess of Heart gave him a gentle smile. "I've begun recording all of our adventures in novels, I change all our names but, it allows others to hear our stories and… I was wondering, would you be willing to tell me your story so that I can write it down so that everyone can hear the truth?"

"_You want to write my story down?_" He eyebrows raised in surprise; longing and sorrow filled his eyes as memories of the Keyblade War filled his mind.

"If you don't want to, that's ok."

"_No,_" Oukoku walked over to them, "_The worlds deserve to know what really happened then; with all the rumors and legends, the truth must be told._" He looked around, "_However, it is a long tale and there are more comfortable places to tell it._"

* * *

Sitting down on the silver-white cushions of the couches, Kairi pulled out her pen and opened her notebook. "I'm ready whenever you are… I know this may be hard for you to tell so, feel free to take your time."

Oukoku stared out the window at the heart-shaped moon… at his lingering sentiment. "_I am ready. Would it be alright with you if I narrated the beginning part?_"

"Go ahead, it's your story." Kairi adjusted her position as her husband laid down on the couch to listen to the story. Sora gave her an encouraging smile, knowing she'd waited long for this.

"_Ok…_" the ancient Keyblade Master came over and sat across from them, on another couch. "_There are many tale and legends about the Keyblade War._" He began, with Kairi faithfully writing every word he said. "_Many stories told, many songs sung, many legends passed down. All true in their own way but, none as true as what I tell you now. For I lived in that day, I experienced the war, I saw what happened with my own eyes. I lost all I held dear, and gained nothing but a responsibility and pain. My name is Oukoku Gatsu, and this is my story…_"

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**Kris:**

**Ladies and Gentlemen, we have begun the Keyblade War story! **

**If you haven't read my KH3 story, you don't know who Oukoku is and all these characters will be new to you… **

**Give a big hand to my co-writer, Jayla the Panda for joining me in the endeavor. **

**These chapters may come out a bit slower because we both have to read over and approve them. Please be patient. **

**Love you guys!**

**Proverbs 11:9**

**_"With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous."_**

**Jayla: Hi guys! I'm Jayla the Panda, the new co-writer! I hope everyone enjoys the chapter. There wasn't much to add because Kristen is such a great author, but I gave it my best shot. Again, enjoy! :D**


	2. Chapter 1

**I own Oukoku Gatsu, Kokoro Gatsu, Noboru Akatsuki, Fuyu Akira, Sakae Ren, Sachi Kawa, Osamu Yuki, Hotaru Yoshi, and Oni Mou!**

**Jayla the Panda owns Kazuhiro Satoshi!**

**Kingdom Hearts belongs to Disney and Square Enix!**

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**Chapter 1**

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I remember, vividly, the day it all began. I had a dream the night before; a dream of my world being engulfed in darkness and everything I loved being taken from me. I know how soon this would come to pass.

When I woke from the dream, everything was as it should have been. The stone walls still held such familiarity. The ceiling was flat and unchanged and the straw mattress was as uncomfortable as always.

"Oukoku?" My wife, and fellow Keybearer, stood beside me, looking concerned. "Are you well? Your dream was causing you to flail in your sleep."

"I am sorry, did I wake you, Kokoro?"

"No," she replied, worry still apparent in her eyes. "I woke up early; I felt sick again."

"Are you going to the doctor today?" I came over to her. She nodded and moved away. I placed a reassuring hand on her arm and smiled, before put on my hakama and went outside.

Our small village of Cautes lay upon a rocky island; it wasn't a good place for farming, but we made do with our main source of food being fish and other sea creatures. A large ravine cut through the island. Only three buildings lay above the opening of the ravine, my home, the home of my fellow Keyblade wielder, and the home of our village leader.

If one was to take the stairway down into the gulch, they could see that the large rift was our village. The homes, market, and other places were built into the rock walls of the gorge.

Pestrosus was always lively, for more children lived there than anywhere else. This was because, our leader was little more than a girl herself.

All the villages were governed by a powerful Keyblade wielder, known as a foreteller. There were five of them; the leader, Unicornis, lead the central village of Brunius Herba. The desert village of Descisco, nearest to our own, was led by one of the two women foretellers, Anguis. Ursus was the leader of the secluded village of Clivus Bratus. The leader of Foenum Tellus, the most protected village, was the young Leopardos. Our village was led by the youngest foreteller, and the second woman, Vulpeus.

Being a guardian of the village meant that I knew Lady Vulpeus personally. We did not know what she physically looked like, for her face, like the faces of all the other foretellers, was covered by an animal mask. Vulpeus' mask was that of a white and blue fox.

She was gentle, sweet, and very playful; she knew the people of Pestrosus on a personal level. There were so many children, and she played with them all, not caring that she was supposed to be our leader. The elders were always given the greatest treatment by her and the ones who lived in poverty were given what they needed to survive. She loved our village with all her being.

But, back to my story…

Across from my door, lay another small dwelling. It was that of my dear friend, and fellow Keyblade wielder, Noboru Akatsuki. His door opened and my friend came outside, tying up his aqua hair into a ponytail. "Greetings, Oukoku!"

"Hello my friend!"

"Oukoku," Noboru grinned. "Lady Vulpeus wishes to speak to us and Kokoro."

"Kokoro is visiting the doctor today. I shall pass on the information to her."

Bowing, my friend motioned towards the ravine. "Let us go."

As we traveled down the gravelly trail into the village, all the children came running towards us, calling our names and clutching our hakamas in excitement. "Master Oukoku!"

"Show us your Keyblade, Master!"

"Oh, please, Master Noboru! Show us!"

It was nearly impossible to turn down the children; their eager faces practically making us do their bidding. So, I showed them my Keyblade, Key to the Kingdom, and Noboru showed them his, Dawn's Way. The young ones stared in awe at the swords. Noboru, Kokoro, and I were their heroes. We were the defenders of the village and the ones whom the children looked to, more than anyone else.

It took a number of minutes to pass through the village with children crowding us on every side, but we, eventually, went up a set of stairs to the large home of Vulpeus.

The young foreteller stood in the main chamber, tending to her beloved flowers. The blossoms of pinks, blues, purples, and yellows decorated the, normally, dismal temple. "Lady Vulpeus…"

"Ah," she looked up with a smile. "Masters Oukoku and Noboru, but where is Kokoro?"

"My wife has not felt well, of late and has gone to see the doctor."

"Oh, I am so sorry to hear that." She said, coming towards us. "I am sure you will pass this along, then. Lord Unicornis has requested a meeting of the foretellers and Keyblade Masters at the sky-chambers at sunrise tomorrow. He says that it is urgent."

My friend and I bowed, as was the custom when speaking to a foreteller. "We shall be there, my lady."

"Thank you," she smiled, "I do hope Kokoro will feel better soon."

"Thank you for the concern."

As my friend and I left we went about our normal lives. Normal days for us entailed more than just protecting the village; in our home, we helped to keep the village functioning properly, from fishing, to repairing homes, and anything else we saw fit. It was our duty to help the village in any way possible, however, when I glanced about I did not see my wife helping, as she usually was. This was strange.

As the sun sunk lower, I went back to my home, cut into the cliff below Lady Vulpeus' house. Inside, Kokoro sat by our cooking fire, stirring a large pot. Normally, she would be bustling about, doing many things at once. However, this day, she sat still, one hand stirring the pot and the other resting on her abdomen.

"Kokoro, my darling, are you doing all right? What did the doctor have to say?"

She stood, slowly and came to me, "My beloved Oukoku," her hand trembled as she grasped my own. "I am with child!"

"I… I cannot believe it!"

She fell into my arms with such joy that it made my heart leap. "I cannot either. Now, please, tell me what Lady Vulpeus had to say."

"She told us that Lord Unicornis wishes to meet with all Foretellers and Keyblade Masters to discus and urgent matter."

Her hand went to her abdomen. When she looked up, her eyes met mine. "I do hope it is nothing too serious."

"Do not worry, my love, I am sure, whatever is happening, we can handle it."

However, even I had my doubts. The thought of a child brought a newfound worry, but, deep inside, I believed that we could defeat whatever situation that came our way.

Little did I know, that what was to come would destroy my family and tear me away from the one I loved and the child I had yet to meet.

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**Kristen: Yes, I changed the Foretellers, but I like them this way. If you remember, Noboru is Riku's ancestor. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! **

**Please Review!**

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**1 Peter 5:4**

**_"And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor."_**

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**Jayla the Panda: ^-^ I do so hope that you enjoyed this chapter of rising suspense and and the thorough foreshadowing of events to come. Please try not to break your feels too soon! Muahahaha! **


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey guys!**

**Thanks for joining my friend and I with this story! I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

**Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!**

**All my OCs © to me!**

**Kazuhiro Satoshi © to Jayla the Panda!**

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**Chapter 2**

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The next morning, Noboru, Kokoro, and I met at Lady Vulpeus's home. Sun poured down from the sky, as my fried knocked on the door. The young Foreteller came outside, a smile on her face. "Shall we?" She held out her hands and covered us all in a Warpza spell.

* * *

When we arrived, we stood by a white seat on a floating, clear platform. Out feet made clear tapping sounds as they covered the dizzying heights. The sky-chambers were so high up that the clouds passed right beneath our feet… most of the time. There would be occasions where a cloud would come right through the chambers.

Others began arriving by the same spell as we did. In one group, from the village of Descisco, came the female Foreteller, Anguis. With her were two Keyblade wielders; one was a violet-haired woman in a, flowing pink dress named Fuyu Akira and the other wore an all blue suit, and his name was Sakae Ren.

The Foreteller, Leopardos, appeared from Brunius Herba with the green-clad woman, Sachi Kawa, and the orange-haired man, Osamu Yuki.

Unicornis, from the village of Foenum Tellus, came with the shirtless wielder, Hotaru Yoshi.

Lastly, Ursus and Oni Mou arrived from Clivus Bratus.

Each of us took our seats across from where the Foretellers sat; we glanced around at each other, wondering why we were all called together in such a manner. Unicornis stood up, giving a light cough to catch our attention as he addressed us. "Keybearers, defenders of the world, I have called you all here to give a warning, so you will not be caught off guard." These words unsettled us all, greatly. Kokoro clutched my hand, a look of worry in her eyes. "Someone has tampered and drawn out some of the darkness in the world."

"What?"

"Are you serious?"

I looked around and saw everyone's faces; all were as shocked as my own, save Oni's for he was always good at hiding emotions. "Lord Unicornis, does that mean…?"

"If the person were to fall into that darkness, we would know it. The moment they do, darkness will enter every single heart. We will all be able to feel it when it happens."

"Darkness…" Anguis sighed, her eyes darkened at the thoughts of darkness, "It has been in our world, taking the form of monsters and creatures of darkness, but not once has it entered a person. We, as Keyblade wielders have defended the people of our land well, despite the cost at times…"

She looked at Sachi who lightly touched the long scars that ran down beside her eyes. "What can we do?"

"We must continue to defend our borders and hope that this person doesn't not accept the darkness into themselves." Ursus replied with a gruff voice.

Leopardos shook his head. "If darkness enters our hearts, all will fall into a state of inescapable chaos and there will be… war…"

War… the word was only used when speaking of fantasy. The nightmare word that no one liked saying or even thinking of. For it to be said in a real moment, as something that might come as an actual threat, brought anxiety to everyone.

"If war was to break out," Vulpeus clasped her hands. "All of you would have to lead the forces of light against the darkness. You must be prepared to do so… every one of you."

I stood up and addressed the Foretellers. "My lords and ladies, I must say this. There is one among us that should not fight and I am pleading you to not make her join us, should… war happen."

"Who do you mean?"

"My wife," I looked to her. "For she is with child."

All gathered gave a small gasp. Leopardos smiled. "Then, congratulations are in order, for both of you."

Unicornis nodded to me, "Your request is accepted; should war come, Kokoro will not have to fight."

"Thank you…"

* * *

As my wife and I lay in bed that night, I could only think on what we were told. Touching her face, gently, and wrapping my arms close about her. The way I felt, when with her, was indescribable. I closed my eyes and could feel the warmth of the pure light in my heart… I can still remember what that pure light felt like, for I would never feel it again…

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**Kris: I hope you guys enjoyed this one! I know it's short, but it's all for suspense. Thing's will start heating up soon enough!**

**Isaiah 33:2**

**_"But Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you. Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble."_**

**Jayla: Hey guys! Hope you enjoy ****this bit of suspense before everything falls into "inescapable chaos".**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey, we're back!**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

**Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!**

**All the OCs © to me and Jayla the Panda!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

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My dreams, for the first time in a long time were peaceful, this last night of the life I knew so well. I dreamed of peace and safety and a life well spent with my wife. As the dream reached the greatest point, where everything seemed to be perfect and life was good…

* * *

_I lay on beautiful, grassy hill, spotted with dewdrops, the sun rising in the distance. Kokoro sat beside me, her head on my shoulder. "Darling," she softly cooed, "Have you ever seen such a beautiful dawn as there is today?"_

_"I don't believe I have… other than the dawn of the day we wed." _

_Suddenly, there was a small giggle behind me and a child's voice spoke. "Tell me again about your wedding, Father? I want to hear it again!"_

_My heart soared as I turned to see the child and then…_

* * *

I was ripped from the dream as I felt more pain than I ever had before. My heart lurched ached and felt as if fire was coursing through it. My eyes burst open and I lay convulsing, unable to do anything else but scream as the pain continued to worsen. However, the pain went beyond the physical.

Emotions unlike any I'd ever felt, flowed throughout my being. Somehow, I recognized what these emotions were. It was fear… anger… hate… rage… terror… it was everything we had taught were the instruments and the signs of darkness.

It had happened… someone had fallen into darkness, and now every single heart was tainted with darkness! Our worst fears were coming to life around us. I could feel it, strong, infiltrating our once wonderful lives.

"Oukoku! My darling, what's wrong!?" My eyes saw Kokoro standing over me; it didn't look like she was in any pain. "What's going on?"

As quickly as it came, the pain stopped, however, I could feel the change. My heart was no longer pure; thoughts I never knew came to me and I wanted to do things which I knew were wrong. "Kokoro… you didn't feel that?"

"Feel what? All of a sudden, you began screaming and I don't know why." She clasped her hand around mine, concern apparent in her voice.

"Darkness, Kokoro," I gasped, "I felt darkness… inside of me. Someone gave into darkness…."

She gasped, a hand over her mouth as her eyes grew wide. "Why…? Why did I not feel anything?" She placed a hand on her heart.

We both jumped as screams erupted from the village outside. I ran out the door, just in time to see Noboru stumble out of his doorway, hand over his heart. "Wha… what is happening?!"

"Darkness!" Vulpeus gasped. "Someone has given into it…" The young foreteller stood above us. She doubled over as a fresh wave of strong pain overcame her.

"Lady Vulpeus!" Kokoro screamed as our village leader fell from where she stood and tumbled down towards us. I jumped to catch her, as she fell, the side of her head struck a rock on the way down.

"My lady!" I caught her in my arms; her mask was cracked from where she hit her head.

"It has happened… Darkness has arrived." Screams came from the village, louder now. "Oukoku, Noboru, Kokoro… the children! Go to them; with darkness now inside them, they must be so frightened."

"I'm frightened! How can we help them when we feel the very same way?" Noboru yelled.

Kokoro spoke out. "My Lady, I shall go. For some reason, I did not feel the darkness as all of you did."

The Foreteller looked at my wife. You did not? Yes… I can feel it, your heart is still pure, but how can that be?"

"I do not know…"

Kokoro left us and headed down to the village. "My lady, what should we do?"

"I know not but, maybe Unicornis knows. Noboru, remain here; Oukoku, you must go and speak with him." She cast a Warpza spell, before I could speak and all was engulfed in light.

* * *

I appeared in the grassland village of Foenum Tellus; the people were is as much chaos as my own home. Screams of agony flooded the village; people collapsed onto dirt roads, unable to bear the burden of the newly found darkness. Unicornis stood in the center of the village, comforting those around him. Fellow Keybearer, Hotaru Yoshi stood with a woman and a young girl with pink hair; he noticed me and approached.

"Hotaru, how are things here?"

"Horrible," he told me, his hand motioning to the chaos all about us. "All of us felt darkness enter our hearts, well, all save my daughter, Sakura. Somehow, her heart is still pure." The girl bowed her head slightly, in response.

I sighed. "My wife is the same."

"I have called a meeting," the eldest Foreteller looked at me. "For even I do not understand what is happening. For not only Sakura still has a pure heart but, another here, a woman named Emi, is the same." He motioned to a black-haired woman. "Both her and Sakura will attend the meeting, as will any other people with pure hearts. We must discover what is happening."

Sakura went to Hotaru, "Father, I'm frightened… what could be happening?"

"We shall find out soon."

* * *

We all stood in the sky chamber as all the others began arriving. All save Kokoro, Vulpeus, and Noboru had someone extra with them. Anguis, Fuyu, and Sakae brought a young woman with pink-white hair, that they called Ami. Leopardos, Sachi, and Osamu came with a blonde woman called Hoshi.

"Where is Oni?" I asked, for Ursus only brought two woman with him.

The Foreteller with the bear mask shook his head solemnly. "I do not know; he was missing this morning, when the darkness came to us."

"I hope he is all right…" The woman with brown hair clasped her hands in worry.

"Your husband will be fine, Makoto," the dark-skinned woman with blue hair smiled comfortingly. "Do not worry."

Makoto closed her eyes. "I hope you're right, Tamiko."

"What can we do?"

"Lord Unicornis, what is happening?"

"Why do we have darkness?"

"Why do these seven women, still have pure hearts!?"

The head Foreteller held up a hand. "Silence! If I am to speak, I must be able to be heard." We all grew silent. "I do not know who has fallen into darkness or how these seven were immune to it. However, we shall find out. At the present time, our people need us, and we would do well to remember that. They are all frightened and need our help to handle what has happened to them. Their safety must come first and foremost. Now…"

The platform shook beneath our feet, sending us all to the floor. All around us appeared black monsters with glowing yellow eyes. "Wha… what are these things?!"

"Beings of pure darkness!" Anguis gasped, looking around at them. "But, where did they come from?"

"**_I brought them here…_**" A figure stood at the end of the platform, shrouded in a misty darkness. "**_They follow my every command and will help me cover this entire work in pure darkness, consuming all!_**" He chuckled deeply, the malevolent sound echoing through the air; the fact that he was enjoying this, sickened me.

"Why are you doing this!?"

The figure chuckled. "**_I will have control of the true light and I will have total control of the world when I take over Kingdom Hearts!_**"

"KINGDOM HEARTS!"

"You will destroy us all!"

The man laughed cruelly. "**_And from the ashes I will create a new world!_**"

I pushed myself to my feet and glared at the man. "How can you condone such madness? What kind of man are you?"

"**_One that you once knew as a friend and ally…_**"

My mouth fell open. "Who are you?" I asked slowly, not sure if I really wanted to know the answer.

The darkness about him drifted away. "No…"

"This can't be!"

"Why!?"

I couldn't believe my eyes. "Why would you do this… Oni Mou…?"

* * *

**Kris:**** Sorry it took so long, both I and my coauthor have had work. I hope you guys enjoy this one. **

**Please review!**

**Proverbs 8:33**

**_"Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don't ignore it."_**

**Jayla:**** Hi everyone! Sorry for the terrible, long wait, but I hope we made it worth your while! This chapter had some action and three involved, and it's only the beginning. Hope you enjoyed it!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Sorry this took so long…**

**Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!**

**OCs © to me and Jayla the Panda**

**Chapter 4**

Oni Mou smirked at our shocked faces. "Indeed…"

"Oni!" Unicornis raised himself up to a kneeling position, "What is the meaning of this!?"

"Ah, my lord, Unicornis. You believe yourself to be so powerful, you and the rest of the Foretellers; however, you all are nothing in comparison to the powers of darkness!" His face contorted into a sinister smile. You say that darkness is evil and that nothing good comes from it, however, I beg to differ. Darkness is not what you say; you call it the end of all but, it is not an end but, rater a beginning. Though our hearts were just filled with darkness, we all emerge from darkness into this world of light."

"You're insane…"

The man only laughed, a shadowy blackness streaming from him. "No… do you not see, the time has come for this world to be born anew. Kingdom Hearts wishes this world done with and I will be the one to do just that."

Makoto slowly stood to her feet. "Oni, please… you've done enough hurt already. Please, end this madness and come home."

"My dear wife," the man said. "Do not worry. When this is over, the world will be new and we can live in peace."

"The path you are taking will only lead to death for all."

"Not for all." His face turned upwards. "Kingdom Hearts made sure of that. To remake this world, I must find Kingdom Hearts itself and to do so, I require the legendary χ-blade."

I gasped in horror. "The χ-blade! That weapon is never to be used!"

"And there's no way to find it!"

Oni smirked. "Wrong… Kingdom Hearts has provided a way! All that is required are thirteen pure darkness's and seven pure lights… or the other way around." He glanced around at all of us. "I see seven here who still have pure hearts."

I jumped to my feet and stood in front of my wife. "We won't let you have them!"

"I'm sorry but, do you really think you, or any of you, can stop me?" His smile sickened me to no end. The creatures of darkness increased in number and began to surround us. "I will be taking these women, and they will lead me to the χ-blade!"

Vulpeus summoned her Keyblade and yelled. "We won't let you!"

"Hmph… fine…" Oni waved his hand. "Kill the Foretellers and the others; spare the seven." The monsters attacked.

I summoned my own Keyblade. "Kokoro! Stay behind me!"

As we fought, with the sounds of battle all around, Oni stood back, watching. I saw his wife, Makoto, run to his side. "Oni! Please stop! You're not yourself! I want the man I fell in love with!"

"Lady Vulpeus!" I yelled. "Help Makoto!"

The young Foreteller saw the woman as well. "I'll take care of her!" I watched as Vulpeus pulled Makoto away from Oni. "Don't you touch her!"

"I will be taking her… she is my wife after all." Oni summoned his sword, Inner Heart. I, myself was too occupied with a large monster to do much.

A loud scram of terror sounded throughout the hall; I glanced up to see Makoto held tightly around the neck by one of the monsters and Oni stood over a downed Vulpeus. "My lady!"

Oni brought down his blade upon her head but, luckily her mask took the force of the blow. However, from when she'd fallen earlier, her mask had a crack in it; this blow from Oni shattered her mask completely.

The youngest Foreteller lay upon the ground, unmoving. The man of darkness laughed. "I never expected all of you to put up this much of a fight. Well, I have all the time in the world to get this done. For the moment, I will take her." He reached out and grabbed Makoto's arm.

A portal of darkness appeared behind Oni and Makoto. The woman struggled and I ran forward, trying to reach her in time. I stretched my hand towards her, my heart pounding as she stared at me with frightened eyes. Our fingers touched; I was so close… "ONI!" However, they vanished… "NO!"

"Oukoku, we will go after them later; first we must tend to our own."

I turned around; my wife sat over Lady Vulpeus as the other Foretellers tended to some of the pure-hearted women, who sustained injury, along with Sakae and Osamu. I joined Kokoro at our lady's side. Her mask lay on the ground in shatters. "Lady Vulpeus…"

My wife looked down at the Foreteller. She really was just a child; under the fox mask, there was a little face with white hair and two blue pigtails curled into rings. "My lady…" The girl's eyes came open, showing the two beautiful blue orbs.

"Oukoku… Kokoro…" Her hand went up to her face. "Oh! My mask!"

"Oni destroyed it."

Unicornis came over and looked down at the girl. "Vulpeus… your mask."

"Unicornis! I'm sorry… I fell earlier and hit my head, so my mask cracked. I'm sorry…"

"You know the rules of our order," the oldest Foreteller spoke sharply. "As a Foreteller, you were charged to keep your true face and identity a secret. I know this may not be the time but, our orders cannot be changed, no matter what situation may be taking place. Vulpeus… Kitsune Sukoshi, you are hereby stripped of your title as master and your status as a Foreteller. Control of your village will be relinquished to Oukoku, Kokoro, and Noboru."

"I understand."

Unicornis stepped back and looked around at all of us. "Everyone, we must return to our homes. If a woman of a pure heart lives in your village, they must be protected at all cost. Fortify your villages and prepare for the worst. From this moment forth, we are at war…"

**Kris: Sorry this took so long guys. I had writer's block and my cowriter was busy. I hope you all enjoyed it! **

**Jayla the Panda: Hi everyone! I am so incredibly sorry for the ridiculous wait that this chapter took. Please don't blame Kristen! It was honestly, my fault. But! Hopefully this chapter has made up for it. Please tell us what you think! :3**

**Please review!**

**Proverbs 23:19**

**_"My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course."_**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hi everybody!**

**So, so, so sorry for the wait.**

**Jayla the Panda actually won't be joining us for a while. She's got a lot of stuff on her plate and she told me to go ahead without her, at least until she's got the time to come back and work on this. **

**So…**

**Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!**

**Kazuhiro Satoshi © to Jayla the Panda!**

**All other OCs © to me!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

As I carried Vulpeus back into the village, everyone came out of their homes to see her. No one spoke as they beheld the young face for no one expected to see our lady without her mask.

"Master Oukoku, let me stand."

"My lady, you are injured," I insisted. "I do not think it wise…"

She held up a hand. "I must speak with them." So, I consented and put her down. The girl straightened up and sighed. "My friends, I have grave news. What we all felt this morning was darkness entering all of our hearts; the one who unleashed it has prompted us to go to war. I advise everyone to remain in the village, only the wielders of the Keyblade will leave, for your safety."

"Lady Vulpeus…" a child asked. "Why do you not have your mask on?"

"My mask is broken," she informed them. "Because of this, I have been stripped of my title as a Foreteller and master. I am no longer your leader; that position now belongs to Oukoku, Noboru, and Kokoro. And my name is not Vulpeus anymore; I am Kitsune Sukoshi. I am now one of you."

With that, she came back to me. "Do not worry, Lady Vul… I mean, Kitsune, we will take care of the people."

"Thank you…"

* * *

My wife sat by the fire, sewing a dress for our former Foreteller. "I'm glad that there was an extra room in the apartments for Kitsune."

"So am I," I agreed. "Though, I never thought that Lord Unicornis would take away her title just for her mask breaking. What happened was not her fault, so why punish her?"

"We don't know all the rules of the Foretellers. Though, I don't agree with his decision either."

I paused as I saw Kokoro place a hand on her abdomen. "Are you all right, my darling?"

"It's nothing," she smiled. "Just some pain. Oukoku… I'm frightened." She looked into the fire. "What are we to do? If you must leave t I do not o fight, what can I do if our child should be born? I do not wish for our child to be born without a father."

I came to her side and took her hands. "My love, I will never allow that to happen. Our child shall have a father. No matter what happens. You shall never be left alone. Oni Mou will come after you, because you have a pure heart. Kitsune will be here as well."

"I know…"

* * *

That night, I lay beside Kokoro. My mind mused over all I'd seen and heard that day. Eventually, sleep took me…

* * *

_In my dreams, I could see my wife, however, she sat in a dark room; between us stood bars of iron. Kokoro was locked up! In her arms lay a bundle that gave a little cry. A child… my wife and child were locked up behind bars. Nothing made me angrier than seeing that…_

_The voice of Oni Mou rang out from behind him. "There is nothing you can do… Master Oukoku. I will have your darling wife. And, do not worry about your child; he shall have a father. I will take the little one and raise him myself; raising him in darkness as my own student." _

_"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" I summoned my Keyblade and slashed at him. The man vanished in dark smoke. _

_Oni chuckled darkly as he appeared inside the bars with Kokoro. He took the bundle from her. "Your child will make a good apprentice. And there is nothing you can do to stop it!"_

_I moved to charge, but I could not move. A swirling darkness pooled around my feet, dragging me downward. "Oni! You won't get away with this! I will stop you! YOU CAN'T HAVE MY FAMILY!" I reached out as the darkness swallowed me…_

* * *

"Oukoku!" I awoke to see my wife staring at me. "Are you all right?"

I reached up and embraced her, tears rolling down my cheeks. "Do not worry, my darling. I will stop Oni Mou. I will never let him take you or our child… this I swear…"

* * *

I could not get the dream out of my head the entire day. I tried to do things to get it out of my mind, but nothing could change my thoughts. As I stood by the shore of the sea, drawing in a net of fish, I saw Sakae Ren coming near on a boat.

"Master Oukoku!"

I waved, a fake smile on my lips. "Hail Sakae! What bring you here?"

"I have orders, from Lord Unicornis," He beached the boat and came to me. "He wishes for you to meet him at Foenum Tellus. He has a special mission for you."

"I'm sorry, but I refuse to leave my wife." I shook my head.

Sakae sighed. "Do not worry about her. I have orders for Kitsune to guard her; Noboru also has the same orders as you. I will also stay and watch your wife until you return."

I thought for a moment, before consenting. "Fine, I will go…"

* * *

"Lord Unicornis, why did you wish to see me?"

"Oukoku," the Foreteller led him into his home. "In the upcoming days, we will need all the assistance in battle we can muster. So, I have searched for those who can wield a Keyblade amongst us. I wish for you to meet one such boy." I went into a room with him.

There sat a boy of about fourteen, dressed in purple and blue robes. His brown hair fell around his face as he jumped to his feet, pushing his round glasses up. "Lord Unicornis…"

Unicornis turned to me and motioned to the boy. "Master Oukoku, this is Kazuhiro Satoshi. I wish for you to train him."

"Train him?" I looked to Kazuhiro, who smiled sheepishly at me. "Well, all right. If you wish, but I do not plan to go far from my home. I wish to be near to my wife at all times."

"I understand your concern, but we need every available warrior available." The older man sighed. "Kitsune may have been stripped of her titles, however she is a very capable warrior still. She will defend Kokoro. However, I will allow you to stay closer to your home. Only in the direst of need, shall I call you far away. Does this arrangement suit you?"

"Yes…"

"Then be off to your home, and take your new apprentice with you."

I nodded. "Yes, my lord. Come Kazuhiro."

The boy jumped to his feet and followed. I cast a warp spell and the two of us appeared back at my village.

Noboru stood nearby, awaiting us; a green-haired girl, no older than ten years of age, stood beside him. "I see that he gave you an apprentice as well."

"Indeed. This is Kazuhiro Satoshi." I nodded. "Kazuhiro, this is my fellow Keyblade Master, Master Noboru Akatsuki."

"Master…"

Noboru smiled. "It is nice to meet you, and may I introduce you to my new apprentice, Miyako Masami."

"Master…" she bowed.

"It is a pleasure. Now, I must see to my wife." I motioned for my new apprentice to follow. "I will see you soon."

Entering my home, I found Kokoro and Kitsune in the room. The former Foreteller stood still as my wife sewed the final stitches on the new dress the girl wore. "Oh, Oukoku, you're home!"

"Yes, and I have someone for you to meet." The two women stopped and looked at us. "This is my new apprentice, assigned to me by Lord Unicornis, Kazuhiro Satoshi."

Kokoro smiled. "Welcome, Kazuhiro, I am Master Kokoro and this is Kitsune. You are most welcome in our home."

"Thank you, Master." The boy bowed and then looked to me. "Master Oukoku, is there a specific reason why you did not want to be far from your wife?"

"Well, my wife is one of the only seven in the world who still has a pure heart of light, and the one who began this war, Oni Mou, is after her. And, she is also with child."

The boy grinned. "That is great news! You have my congratulations, Master Kokoro!"

"Please, just Kokoro." She smiled gently.

He nodded. "Is there anything you need? Wood for the fire? Food brought up? Anything?"

Kitsune, Kokoro, and I laughed; he was certainly an eager young man. "Go with your master, he'll show you around."

"Yes, come along, Kazuhiro." I lead the boy outside. Perhaps, things would not be so bad. For and air of peace lay over the village; how could anything, even darkness, break through that?

* * *

**Again, sorry for the wait.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

* * *

**Hebrews 10:36**

**_"Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."_**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hi guys!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter…**

**Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!**

**Kazuhiro Satoshi © to Jayla the Panda!**

**Raiden © to NintendomanO1!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

I woke up to a nice and familiar smell, the smell of freshly cooked fish. "What is going on? Who's cooking?"

"I don't know…" Kokoro lay beside me. We both sat up and saw my apprentice leaning over the fire. "Kazuhiro?"

The boy turned and I could see the fish cooking behind him. "Oh, hello Masters. I didn't mean to wake you, but I wanted to prepare breakfast for you."

"Thank you Kazuhiro." I stood up, happy to see my apprentice doing what he could. I dressed and went to the door. "I will go see how things are in the village."

My wife smiled. "Go, the people need to see you. In these dark days, you're their hope."

I nodded and stepped outside. Already, I could feel something was wrong; loud noises came from the village, and it was not joyful noise. I ran down and saw two men fighting over a loaf of bread. "What is going on!?"

"Master Oukoku," the first man said. "My family hasn't had much to eat for a long time. I just got enough to buy this, and it's the last loaf. I need it!"

"I need it too! My father is sick and his family needs to be fed!"

I listened to them bicker, before stomping my foot. "That's enough!" I stepped in and took the loaf from them. "We've only had darkness in us for a day and this is what happens; arguing over a loaf of bread. The baker can make more, one of you just has to be a little patient. Now, be honest, who had the loaf first?" The second man put his hand up. "I see… Now, this loaf is yours." He bowed and took it from me, before I turned to the other man. "You will have to wait a little longer, but the bread you will get is fresh, not hours old."

The men looked between one another and I could see the remorse in their eyes. "We are sorry, Master Oukoku."

"I don't know what came over me…"

"I do…" I gave them an understanding smile. "No one is used to having darkness inside them. You are not used to its power, so you fall into it easily. Everyone must exercise caution; we do not want this darkness to get out of hand. Do your best to be kind and not to argue. It is the only way to keep darkness away."

The people murmured in agreement, and began moving about. "You speak well, old friend."

I turned. "Raiden!?" My oldest and dearest friend stood behind me, a katana at his waist and a second one across his back.

"It is good to see you again, Oukoku, but I wish I came at a happier time and for a nice reason." His brow creasing under his black hair.

"Come," I came towards him. "We shall talk in my home."

* * *

Kazuhiro sat behind me as I faced my old friend, Kokoro by my side. "I assume you came here because of the darkness?"

"You are right, but that is not all." Raiden sighed. "Creatures of darkness have been attacking the people who live outside the villages. I have seen entire families turned into dark, soulless creatures, with glowing eyes." I saw the anger in his eyes. "I was between Descisco and Brunius Herba and I was unable to save anyone. That's why I came here… the monsters are coming this way."

"Is the village in danger?"

Raiden shook his head. "No, they are building their numbers by attacking the smaller settlements and lone homes. I need your help. The three small settlements near here: Stenet, Kallas, and Laine. I was hoping you, your wife, and Noboru could help."

I turned to my new apprentice and smiled. "Kazuhiro, could you please go get Noboru, his apprentice, and Kitsune?"

"Yes, Master…" I watched the boy jump up and run outside.

The moment he was gone, I looked at my old friend. "Raiden, we have been on alert since Oni unleashed darkness upon our world. Noboru, my apprentice, Noboru's apprentice, and Kitsune will gladly help, but Kokoro cannot come, and I would be glad if someone would stay behind with her."

"Is there any reason? For, I know you hardly go anywhere without your wife."

Kokoro smiled at me and then turned to Raiden. "You apparently have not heard, but I am with child."

"You are!?" He took my wife's hands. "There is truly a light in these dark times… I understand now, why you are so protective. I say, if this Kitsune person is capable, they should stay behind and guard your wife."

My wife and I looked between one another. "You don't know…? Lady Vulpeus, our Foreteller, was stripped of her position. Kitsune is her real name."

"I see," He looked over at me, silently asking me what had happened. I held up a hand in a motion that I would tell him later.

The door opened, and Noboru, Miyako, and Kitsune came in, followed by Kazuhiro; I stood up and spoke clearly. "My dear friend and guardian of the outlying settlements, Raiden, has some disturbing news. Creatures are attacking the settlements, outside the villages, and are turning the people into dark monsters. Raiden says that the creatures are coming towards Stenet, Kallas, and Laine. He has asked for our help in defending the villages; those villages are so near to our own, that it is our responsibility to act."

Raiden stood beside me. "My friend speaks the truth. Now, first, I must ask, how proficient are you young ones with your Keyblades?"

"We have trained since we were very young, in a small school set up by Lord Unicornis." Kazuhiro stood at attention.

Miyako smiled. "We are more than capable of handling ourselves in a fight."

"That's what I needed to hear." Raiden smiled. "Now, in order to spread our forces as best we can, I have requested that Lady Anguis send Master Fuyu. Kitsune, would it be trouble if I asked you to quickly go to Descisco and bring Master Fuyu here?"

The former foreteller gave a little nod. "I shall return in a few minutes." She stood up and vanished in the light of a Warp spell.

"What is your plan, Raiden?"

My old friend looked at my wife and smiled. "I plan for Kitsune to remain here with you, Koko." She and I smiled at his nickname for her. "Then, Oukoku and I will go to Laine, which is the largest settlement and the most likely to be attacked the hardest. Noboru and Fuyu shall go to Stenet and guard it. Then, you young ones, shall go to the smallest settlement, and the least likely to be attacked, Kallas."

I looked at the apprentices. If Lord Unicornis trusted them to us, then they must be prepared, but I was grateful that Raiden was thinking of their safety, by sending them to the smaller settlement. In a flash of light, Fuyu and Kitsune appeared.

"Hello, Fufu." Raiden smirked.

"Raiden," the violet-haired Keyblade Master glared at him. "If you call me that one more time, Oukoku will need to find a new best friend."

I shook my head as my old friend explained his plan again. He always liked making fun of those close to him. When he finished, I shared a quick goodbye with my wife, and a warm parting with my apprentice before we split up.

* * *

"Are you certain that these creatures are a threat? They don't seem so strong." I looked at my friend. We'd been fighting off the dark monsters for a short time, and they seemed to have stopped coming.

Raiden seemed confused. "This makes no sense… I saw the monsters decimate the villages from largest to smallest. This one should have been attacked first and with the most vigor."

"Unless the creatures are being controlled…" We turned and saw Oni Mou leaning on a wall. "I have command over these creatures; I call them the Heartless."

"What are you going on about Oni!?" I felt such fury seeing his smug face.

He smirked. "I choose where to unleash my heralds. Yes, if they were on their own, they would attack this place first, but I had other plans…" His golden eyes looked into mine. "Have you checked on your apprentice yet?"

I froze. He wouldn't? Would he really send these monsters after my student? "Raiden, get Noboru!" I cast a Warp spell, and the last thing I saw was Oni's smiling face.

* * *

I appeared outside Kallas and my blood froze. The settlement lay in ruins and not a person was in sight. "Kazuhiro! KAZUHIRO!"

"Master?" I heard his voice, it sounded strained. I ran around one of the last building standing, and saw my student fighting against a large dark creature with two prongs that formed a heart, blue wings and a large sword.

I summoned my Keyblade and slashed through the creature. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine. But, Miyako and I were separated."

"We will find her."

"MIYAKO!" I heard Noboru's voice call out; Raiden must have brought him. Kazuhiro and I ran back to where the other Keyblade Master and Raiden stood. "Where's my student!?"

My apprentice breathed heavily. "We became separated in the fight."

"MASTER!" We looked up and saw the girl stumbling towards us, her blue kimono torn and her hair unkempt. Noboru ran to her, but nothing could be done. Miyako fell and her body lit up as her heart rose from her chest; we could only watch as her body vanished and her heart went into a small swirl of darkness. Out of that, made from the heart of Miyako, came one of the dark monsters, one with a dark blue body, dark face, and a mushroom-like top.

It began jumping around and attacking everything in sight. My fellow Keyblade Master stared at the monster, all that was left of his apprentice, and fell to his knees. "Miyako… w-why did I let her come here…? I-I let her go to her death…"

"It wasn't you…" My voice was thick with emotion, for I too was shocked and appalled. "Oni sent the creatures, the Heartless, after our students on purpose… It's his fault!"

"Noboru," Raiden spoke quietly. "Miyako would not want to be a dark monster, meant to destroy."

"You mean… I should destroy her?" Noboru looked up at my friend, who nodded. "I-I guess that is the only humane thing to do for her…" He stood, summoning his Keyblade before approaching the Heartless that had once been his apprentice. "Miyako… I swear on my life, Oni will pay for this… I swear it…" The Heartless looked up at him with bright gold eyes as he brought his sword down upon it.

This was the first time, I lost someone to the dark creatures… and it would not be the last…

* * *

**Yeah… sadness…**

**Please review!**

* * *

**I wanted to give you an idea of how the characters would sound so I picked out voice actors for them. I know I picked some out on Deviantart, but I am planning to change those to the ones you see here:**

**Oukoku Gatsu: ****_Eric Vale (Inspector Santos from _****_Case Closed_****_)_**

**Kokoro Gatsu: ****_Diane Lane (Riley's Mom from _****_Inside Out_****_)_**

**Fuyu Akira: ****_Reese Witherspoon (Susan Murphy from _****_Monsters vs Alien_****_)_**

**Noboru Akatsuki: ****_Cary Elwes (Garret from _****_Quest for Camelot_****_)_**

**Vulpeus/Kitsune Sukoshi: ****_Xanthe Huynh (Sachi from _****_Sword Art Online_****_)_**

**Miyako Masami: ****_Olivia Olson (Vanessa Doofenshmirtz from _****_Phineas and Ferb_****_)_**

**Kazuhiro Satoshi: ****_Vincent Martella (Phineas from _****_Phineas and Ferb_****_)_**

**Raiden: ****_Kevin M Connolly (Heathcliff from _****_Sword Art Online_****_)_**

**Oni Mou: ****_Scottie Ray_****_(Oroku Saki/the Shredder from _****_Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles {2003}_**

* * *

**James 1:5-6**

**_"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind."_**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hi everyone.**

**Well, I've had writer's block on this story, and I ended up asking Nintendoman01 and Yamichaos27 for help. I'll be pulling in some of their ideas and help for later chapters.**

**So, this chapter is short, but it does set up for later chapters.**

**Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!**

**Kazuhiro © to Jayla the Panda!**

**Raiden © to Nintendoman01!**

**All other OCs © to me!**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

* * *

When we went to rescue Kazuhiro and Miyako, Oni sent the Heartless to destroy the other small villages. Most who lived there were wiped out, turned into the dark monsters. Those who survived, fled to our village.

Raiden, knowing that other small villages would be in danger, left to defend them, with Fuyu returning to her own village. Noboru, broken by the demise of his student, hardly left his home. His spirit was destroyed and nothing seemed to be able to repair it.

For a month, things were quiet around my village. Now, my wife showed outward signs of her child-bearing and I was more reluctant to leave her side.

Then, one day, I was awoken by a loud knock on my door. My fellow Keyblade Master, Sachi Kawa, came inside. "Oukoku! I need your help!"

"Sachi…" I sat up in bed. "What is going on?"

"Oukoku, Brunius Herba is under attack! Oni is trying to kill Lord Leopardos!"

I jumped up. "Kokoro, go to Norboru's house until I return!" Stepping into one of the other rooms I called out. "Kazuhiro! Get up!"

"Wh-what!?" My student sat up.

"Brunius Herba is under attack! Get up!"

Minutes later, we were both fully dressed and ready, if not a little tired still. Sachi engulfed us in Warpza spell. What we saw, when we emerged, was the stuff of nightmares. The village, usually full of houses made of red-tinted wood, sat in rows, nestled in this small mountainous alcove with the entrance covered by trees. Now, half the building lay in flames, with Heartless all around and not many people around.

I could see Osamu Yuki and two children who must have been his and Sachi's apprentices: Ayame Kanon and Hideaki Yuuta. They stood in front of the few survivors of the village. Above them, Oni battled Leopardos, but the Foreteller fought, weakly, and I soon saw that Heartless were attacking him when he was distracted.

"I'll help Lord Leopardos! You defeat those Heartless!" I ran up the mountain to where the two battled. "ONI!"

His eyes turned to me. "Ah, Oukoku. How are the outlying villages you protect doing?" He laughed as I bared my teeth, ready to fight. "My lord, are you alright?"

"I am…" I could now see him clearly, wounds and all. Half of his mask was gone, revealing the face of a boy, about as young as my apprentice. His green eyes glowed with rage under the black spikey hair.

Oni smirked, looking around at the destruction. With Sachi and my apprentice now here, the Heartless onslaught had come to a standstill. "I do believe my work here is done…" He vanished into a dark portal, and his Heartless army vanished.

Leopardos took a deep breath, removing what was left of his mask. It looks like my reign as Foreteller is over…" He led me down to where the survivors stood, some injured but all frightened. "At first light, we must all go to Foenum Tellus. Lord Unicornis will watch over us, for you need a new leader, as I have lost my position by my face being revealed."

"My lord," a small child came forward. "Why is this happening?"

"Little one, this is all the work of the dark ones… and I am not Leopardos anymore, I am Hyo Tochi." He turned to me and my apprentice. "We will be fine. Go back to your village; Oni will be coming for every village and they need you. Go defend your home."

I nodded. "We will, I am sorry we were not able to come here in time to do more."

"You have done enough, thank you Master Oukoku."

"You are welcome, Hyo Tochi."

* * *

"First I lose my status, and now Hyo…" Kitsune sighed.

My wife wrung her hands in despair. "He is taking down the outer villages, the Foretellers, the main villages, and he is after those of us with pure hearts… all of this to get Kingdom Hearts."

"We have to stop him!" I huffed in anger. Everything was falling apart so fast and we were going to lose everything if we were not careful.

"I don't know if we can…" Noboru spoke quietly. "He has all the power and could destroy us all… of the people saved by you, the woman of pure heart from Brunius Herba is missing, and most likely in the clutches of Oni. Two Foretellers have lost their rank and all the outlying settlements are gone! We cannot win…"

"I did not make you a master to have you give up!" Unicornis suddenly stepped into the room; we all stood to our feet. "

I bowed. "My lord, why have you come here?"

He sat down, motioning for us to do the same. "I wanted to come and speak to you in person about something. Oni has the upper hand and is after the villages; Oukoku, your village has many to protect it and I will send Hyo here as well to help defend it. I need your services elsewhere."

"My lord, I do not wish to leave my wife…"

"You are the best Keyblade Master we have. I need you and your apprentice on a special mission. Oni must have a base somewhere and we want you to find it."

I shook my head. "That could take me far from my home. I do not wish to leave my wife."

"Oukoku," Kokoro placed a hand on my arm. "Go… with two former Foretellers, I will be just fine. You do not have to worry; if anything happens with our child, Norboru can come find you. This is your duty, please, do it for me…"

I smiled over at her, nodding. "My lord, may I have one last night here before I begin?"

"Of course… Now, I must attend to business back in my village." He vanished into a Warp spell.

* * *

The next morning, I stood outside my home, with my apprentice at my side. We'd said our goodbyes and now we stepped out. The village soon falling behind us and I had a sinking feeling, that I would never see my village again…

* * *

**Well, here you go!**

**Please Review!**

* * *

**Sachi Kawa:****_ Lucy Hale (Periwinkle from _****_Tinker Bell_****_)_**

**Osamu Yuki: ****_Matt McKenzi (Auron from _****_Final Fantasy X_****_ &amp; _****_Kingdom Hearts 2_****_)_**

**Leopardos/Hyo Tochi: ****_Lucien Dodge (Keita from _****_Sword Art Online_****_)_**

**Ayame Kanon: ****_Kelly Hu (Stacy from _****_Phineas and Ferb_****_)_**

**Hideaki Yuuta: ****_Mitchel Musso (Jeremy from _****_Phineas and Ferb_****_)_**

**Unicornis/?: ****_Dough Stone (Nishida from _****_Sword Art Online_****_)_**

* * *

**Hebrews 7:25**

**_"Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."_**


	9. Chapter 8

**Here's the next chapter!**

**It may be short, but who's ready for a PLOT TWIST!?**

**Raiden © to Nientendoman01!**

**Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!**

**Kazuhiro © to Jayla the Panda!**

**All other OCs © to me!**

* * *

My apprentice and I walked for days and days, from village to village. All of the smaller towns lay abandoned, their occupants either fleeing to larger villages or they were taken by the darkness. We walked into Descisco.

"Master," Kazuhiro panted, "I do not like this desert… it's too hot."

I smiled at him. "I know, but you will be able to rest when we reach Master Fuyu's home." My apprentice was not used to this hot climate; he'd never been to Descisco. The sandstone buildings stood between canals of water, used to irrigate crops and supply water to each house. On the opposite side of the village from where we entered, a rocky alcove sheltered the horses that the village bred.

My student wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Too hot for you?" A voice chuckled; my fellow master, Sakae Ren stood beside a building, laughing.

"Indeed Sakae." I chuckled. "Remember, I felt the same when I first visited."

"Master Sakae! Master Sakae!" A boy with long black hair ran up, sweating; he looked like he wasn't used to the heat either. He wore a red and black kimono, matching his long black hair.

I smiled down at him. "You must be Sakae's student. What is your name, young man?"

"K-Katsu Shirou…" he panted. "Master, Lady Anguis was asking for you."

"Tell her that I will be there… and inform Master Fuyu that Master Oukoku and his apprentice have arrived."

The boy bowed and ran off, still panting. "I almost feel sorry for him."

"Katsu comes from an outlying mountain village. He is used to seeing snow and ice, the desert will take him quite a long time to get used to." Sakae smiled. "Fuyu's student is from this village, and has been a friend of hers for a long time." He smiled and moved on, towards the granite house atop the hill, where Lady Anguis awaited him.

I led my student to the house nearest the horse paddock and knocked on the door. A girl with dark skin and black hair, dressed in a white kimono with yellow and light green trim, opened the door. She smiled, "Master Fuyu!"

"What is it, Yuuna?" My fellow Keyblade Master came to the door. "Ah, there you are, Master Oukoku. Come inside!"

Kazuhiro followed me into the house and quickly sat down, as Yuuna handed him a ladle of water. I chuckled as I watched him greedily gulp it down. "Thank you for allowing us to stay, Fuyu."

"It is my pleasure."

"Master Fuyu," Kazuhiro spoke up, "With all due respect, I do not understand how you can wear clothes with long sleeves in this heat."

"You grow accustomed to the heat eventually." She smiled. We all paused at a second knock on the door; Yuuna went to open it and Raiden came inside.

He smiled at us. "Fufu, I'm here." He quickly ducked out of the way of a Fire spell. "Sorry…"

"Call me Fufu one more time, Raiden and I won't miss."

I laughed. "Raiden, what brings you here?"

"I found a boy, wearing strange clothes, lying unconscious outside my home. My wife is bringing him here on her horse… but here's the strangest thing, he had a Keyblade."

We all looked at him. "What did he look like?"

Raiden sat down, looking around at all of us. "He had light silver hair and he was wearing a white shirt, black coat, brown pants, and a red cloth around his neck."

I'd never heard of anyone wearing garb like that before. "Have you spoken to any of the Foretellers about this boy?"

"Not yet. I wanted to know if any of you knew something about him first…" He had a strange look in his eyes. "I don't know what to tell the Foretellers. I have reason to believe they're hiding something from us. I think they knew about everything that's happened: Oni's betrayal, his search for Kingdom Heart and the Χ-blade, and his wanting to capture the seven maidens with hearts of light."

Fuyu cocked her head. "Why would they keep something like that from us?"

"I do not know, but I have a feeling that this boy has something to do with it." Raiden took a drink of water. "However, since you know nothing about him, I guess I must ask Master Anguis."

He stood up, and I grabbed his arm. "I will go with you."

"Thank you, Oukoku…"

"Kazuhiro, you remain here." My oldest friend and I opened the door, into the sweltering heat. However, we had not taken three steps outside, before one of the townsfolk screamed. We saw Heartless scurrying through the streets, towards us.

However, these were strange, and different from any other Heartless. Just looking at them, I got the feeling that they were somehow, alive. They looked like the small common Heartless, but they were the size of humans, wearing pants, shoes, gloves and a hat, with tattered wings spreading behind them.

The two apprentices, alongside Master Fuyu came running out. They charged the monsters and attacked. Out of Master Anguis's home came the Foreteller herself, along with Sakae and his apprentice. Raiden and I joined in the fray.

These new Heartless were tougher, and fought unlike any other Heartless. They seemed to have minds of their own are were smart enough to analyze our attacks.

As we fought, I noticed the children getting overwhelmed. My apprentice fought only one and the monster was knocking him against a wall. The monster hit my student to the ground, but I had two of those creatures, blocking me from him.

Suddenly, a new figure leapt down, slicing the Heartless that stood over my student in half. I stared at the boy, who looked exactly as Raiden described him. He helped Kazuhiro to his feet before attacking.

It took us a long time, before we cleared out all the monsters; for the first time, very few people were taken by the darkness, and this village's maiden of pure heart was safe.

I turned, looking at the white-haired boy. He turned to me, with his bright aqua eyes. "Hello… looks like I made it in time."

"Who are you!?"

He smiled, hefting up his star-themed Keyblade. "Oh, sorry… my name is Ephemera…"

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**Thank you 2.8 trailer for making me rethink my entire story. **

**Ephemera was not originally a part of it, but I'm happily including him and few others into the tale. **

**Please review!**

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**Sakae Ren: ****_Chris Pine (Jack Frost from _****_Rise of the Guardians_****_)_**

**Katsu Shirou: ****_Alec Holden (Django Brown from _****_Phineas and Ferb_****_)_**

**Yuuna Satomi: ****_Ashley Tisdale (Candace from _****_Phineas and Ferb_****_)_**


	10. Chapter 9

**Here we go, guys! **

**Please, check out my KH3.5 Collection (with redos of my Training Series and my KH3 story)**

**Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!**

**Kazuhiro © to Jayla the Panda**

**Raiden © to Nintendoman01!**

** All other OCs © to me!**

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**Chapter 9**

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"Ephemera?"

The boy smiled. "Well, some people call me Ephemer… but it doesn't matter."

I nodded. "Well, Ephemera, thank you for saving my student."

"No problem!" He looked around. "So where am I, and where can I find the foreteller for Vulpeus?"

"Kitsune?"

Ephemera looked at Kazuhiro. "So that's her name. Master Ava didn't tell me what her name was. Kitsune's a pretty name."

"Master Ava?"

"Oh, I forgot," the boy lightly smacked his own forehead. "You guys don't know what's happening. Ok, let me explain… All of you live here, in the Realm of Light, but there's another realm, with a lot of Keyblade wielders. It's the Realm of Sleep. I was sent by a Foreteller, in the other realm, to come here."

All of us stared at him, equally intrigued and confused by his words. "But why were you sent here?"

"Well, Master Ava wanted me to…"

"That's enough!" Master Anguis came striding up to us. Even though I could not see her face, it was simple to see that she was glaring at our guest. "Come with me." She grabbed Ephemera's arm and they suddenly vanished in a Warpza spell.

"Uh…" Sakae cocked his head. "What was that about?"

"I do not know… but none of what that boy said made sense. I would like to know more…"

Raiden smiled at me. "Fortunately for you, I can help."

"Oh really," Fuyu crossed her arms. "I highly doubt that, Raiden."

The swordsman cocked his head. "You don't believe me?" His eyes twinkled with mirth, as they always did when he was ready to prove Fuyu wrong. "How do you think I find out what is going on in our world? I use magic to eavesdrop on the conversations you and the foretellers have in your meeting place, in the sky."

"You do?"

Raiden walked into Fuyu's home and we all followed. The man took off his dual katanas and laid them, crossing, on a table. I heard him mutter under his breath before a circle of white reflected off the swords, creating an image.

I could see all the Foretellers, including Kitsune and Hyo, speaking to Ephemera. Moments later, I could hear them.

"Master Ava sent you?" Kitsune cocked her head. "I thought your Foretellers were staying out of the affairs of our world."

Ephemera seemed confused. "Master Ava never said anything to me about that. She did say that our realms didn't connect very often."

"What did she tell you?"

"Well, that the real Foretellers are the ones I know. You guys are their stand-ins in the Realm of Light. Keyblade wielders from this world are identified and sent to the Realm of Sleep to train before their minds are erased and they're sent back here to live out their lives. The light collected by the Keyblade Wielders in the Realm of Sleep was used to keep back the darkness here. But one Keyblade wielder, who studied under the sixth apprentice Luxu, kept his memories and came back here to unleash the darkness. And…"

"That's enough!" Lord Unicornis stood up. "She has told you far too much. Now, why has she sent you here?

Ephemera narrowed his eyes. "Master Ava has gathered Keyblade wielders from every Union, under the Foretellers, into a group called the Dandelions. We're supposed to run to the outside world when war starts… to run to this world. I was sent ahead to see if this world was ready…"

"Well the world is not ready! It will never be! Now leave! Go back to the Realm of Sleep!"

As the Foretellers began to berate the boy, I turned to the others in the room. "What do you make of this?"

"I do not know." Fuyu looked at me. "I do not like the sound of this."

Sakae sighed, "I do not understand what he is talking about, but it appears as if the Foretellers have been keeping secrets."

I nodded. "Sakae, gather the Keyblade Masters at our private meeting place, the one that the Foretellers do not know about."

"No!" I turned at my student's cry. We looked back at the image and saw Ephemera running from the Foretellers and leaping off the edge of the meeting place, in the clouds.

Raiden grabbed his swords, and yelled. "WARPZA!" The orb of light vanished, and the image with it. But another light flashed and the white-haired boy appeared, plopping on the ground.

"What!?"

I knelt down, helping the boy up. "You must tell us everything, but not here." I placed my hands on his shoulders and looked to my oldest friend. "Raiden, take him to the meeting place. Kazuhiro and I will continue on; you must let the others know the truth, and then come and tell us. Now, go before the Foretellers arrive."

"Yes." Raiden grabbed the boy's arm and led him outside. I soon heard the noise of horse hooves getting further away.

I did not understand this boy's tale, but I felt that what he had to say, would change everything…

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**Short, yes, but full of info, also yes!**

**Please review!**

**1 Peter 2:9**

**_"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."_**


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